Respiratory Therapists | What Do They Do?

Respiratory therapists care for patients who have trouble breathing; for
example, from a chronic respiratory disease, such as asthma or emphysema.
Their patients range from premature infants with undeveloped lungs to
elderly patients who have diseased lungs. They also provide emergency care
to patients suffering from heart attacks, drowning, or shock.

Respiratory
therapists typically do the following:

Interview and examine patients with breathing or cardiopulmonary
disorders

Consult with physicians to develop patient treatment plans

Perform diagnostic tests such as measuring lung capacity

Treat patients, using a variety of methods, including chest
physiotherapy and aerosol medications

Monitor and record the progress of treatment

Supervise respiratory therapy technicians during tests and evaluate
the findings of the tests

Teach patients how to use treatments

Respiratory therapists use various tests to evaluate patients. For
example, therapists test lung capacity by having patients breathe into an
instrument that measures the volume and flow of oxygen when they inhale and
exhale. Respiratory therapists may also take blood samples and use a blood
gas analyzer to test the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels present.

Respiratory therapists perform chest physiotherapy on patients to remove
mucus from their lungs and make it easier for them to breathe. Removing
mucus is necessary for patients suffering from lung diseases, such as cystic
fibrosis, and involves the therapist vibrating the patientís rib cage, often
by tapping the patientís chest and encouraging him or her to cough.

Respiratory therapists may connect patients who cannot breathe on their
own to ventilators to deliver oxygen to the lungs. Therapists insert a tube
in the patientís windpipe (trachea), and connect the tube to ventilator
equipment. They set and monitor the equipment to ensure that the patient is
receiving the correct amount of oxygen at the correct rate.

Respiratory therapists who work in home care teach patients and their
families to use ventilators and other life-support systems in their homes.
During these visits, they may inspect and clean equipment, check the home
for environmental hazards, and ensure that patients know how to use their
medications. Therapists also make emergency home visits when necessary.

In some hospitals, respiratory therapists are involved in related areas,
such as counseling people on how to stop smoking and diagnosing breathing
problems for people with sleep apnea.